Spare tire handling devices with one-piece wheel retainers which store the spare tire under a vehicle are well known in the prior art. These devices allow spare tires to be stored outside of the vehicle compartment and are commonly used in vehicles which have larger spare tires and in vehicles which lack interior space in which to store a tire. Such designs are commonly used on larger vehicles such as trucks, campers, recreational vehicles, and the like.
These devices typically include a winch, cable, and tire retainer upon which the spare tire rests. Typically the device stores the spare tire under the rear of the vehicle, often at some point behind the rear wheels but before the end of the vehicle, although the device may be mounted at any other convenient point under a vehicle where it will not interfere with the vehicle's systems. The winch may be operated manually, typically by a detachable hand crank, or by an electrical motor. When operated, the winch is cranked and the tire lowered to the ground by the cable. When the tire is resting on the ground the tire may be detached from the retaining device. Optionally, the flat tire being replaced may be put onto the retaining device and the flat tire raised into the stored position under the vehicle for transport until it may be repaired or replaced.
Such spare tire storage devices or carriers are simple and efficient, but have several drawbacks. These devices operate entirely under the vehicle's footprint meaning that the operator must reach under the vehicle to retrieve the spare tire even when it is in the lowered position. Many of the vehicles using such systems have larger than normal tires meaning the operator must reach under the vehicle and attempt to drag a very heavy tire out from under the vehicle while crouching in an awkward position. The spare tire must also be disconnected from the storage device which may require the operator to crawl under the vehicle to operate the tire retaining device. The flat tire must then be pushed back under the vehicle and reconnected to the retaining device to be lifted back into the storage position. The drawbacks of the present tire retaining systems typically leave the operator dirty and tired after having to crawl under the vehicle multiple times to change a single tire.